Fleckvieh
At a glance:
Typical dual-use breed
High milk and meat yield
Strong constitution
Good exterior
Long life expectancy
Most widely used cattle breed in Austria
Top rank in udder health
Withers height, female calf: 132–143 cm
Live weight, female calf: 550–650 kg
Can adapt to any climate
Suitable for grazing
Suitable for keeping in a freestall barn
Bulls:
Slaughter weight: 330–450 kg/58%
Daily gain: approx. 1.350 g
Europ. classification E and U: over 85%
| General information: | With some 1.7 million animals, the Fleckvieh is the most common cattle in Austria, which is kept anywhere from alpine mountain regions to the eastern lowlands. When managing them in an appropriate manner, their milk yield compares with that of pure milk breeds, while still offering a high meat yield at the same time. Particular emphasis is placed on the physical traits fertility, duration of usage, course of calving, calf vitality, cell count and persistence. The exterior and udder characteristics are of equal importance. A large proportion of the young cattle is taken to mountain pastures for grazing, which improves their health and longevity. Fleckvieh cattle have a very good exterior. The yearly milk yield rises until the 5th lactation. A prominent feature of this breed is its excellent udder health with an average cell count of less than 180,000 across all lactations. The fast-growing male calves are ideally suited for successful cattle mast and represent an important additional source of income for specialised milk producers. Slaughter cows reach a slaughter weight of 350–450 kg and exhibit medium fattening and excellent marbling. |
| Breeding target: | 38% milk 16% meat 46% fitness The goal is to gain fast-growing, well-shaped and high-yielding cattle. Population in Austria: 1,650,000 Stud-book cattle: 260,000 Herds: 17,000 Breed ratio in Austria: 79.5% 7.7% of the cows graze on mountain pastures Weight: 650–850 kg Loin height: 140–150 cm First calving: 30 months Duration of usage: 3.6 years |
| Meat yield: | Stud-book cattle: 5,500 Herds: 700 Yield: approx. 58% Daily gain: 1,358 g Europ. grade E and U: > 85% |
| Applications: | Cross-breeding for higher milk yield, adaptability to all production environments and climates, fertility, longevity, suitability for grazing / keeping in a freestall barn. |
